Chapter 163 Farewell
Back at the Lu family, He Wanyi was taking Shi Shulan to prepare food for them to eat on the train tomorrow.
Seeing the two people coming back, He Wanyi quickly called out to Jiang Haitang: "Haitang, come over and take a look. Is there anything else you want to eat?"
Jiang Haitang followed He Wanyi to the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of stewed food. The casserole on the stove was bubbling with steam. Sesame candies, rose cakes, osmanthus cakes, etc. were neatly arranged on the stove. The fine icing on the cakes glowed with silver light under the dim light.
Aunt Wang was picking up the last piece of braised beef with bamboo chopsticks. The glossy soup dripped slowly along the texture of the beef, emitting an amber glow under the light.
Shi Shulan was concentrating on wrapping the osmanthus cakes with oil paper, her movements as gentle as if she was wrapping a treasure. After wrapping each one, she carefully put it into the bamboo basket, and did not forget to pad the gaps with cotton wool to prevent bumps.
"These are all prepared today. We'll knead the dough later and make dumplings for you tomorrow morning and boil a few eggs." He Wanyi said with a smile.
"These are enough to eat, Auntie. I'll feel bad that you've taken so much trouble." Jiang Haitang's eyes felt slightly warm as she looked at the table full of carefully prepared food.
"Good boy, we are a family from now on. There is nothing to feel guilty about. Children should not refuse the kindness of their parents. Just accept it."
He Wanyi gently held Jiang Haitang's hand, and the warmth of her palm came through her thin shirt.
Thinking back to the initial discomfort she felt when she heard that Jiang Haitang had been married before, and then looking at the sensible daughter-in-law in front of her, she felt that her original thoughts were ridiculous.
Now, she has long regarded Jiang Haitang as her own daughter.
"Thank you, Auntie." Jiang Haitang shook He Wanyi's hand with warm eyes.
"It's cold in the car. I'll prepare some brown sugar ginger soup for you tomorrow. Wrap it in cotton wool and take it with you on the road." He Wanyi pointed to the thermos in the corner. "I guarantee it'll keep you warm until you reach the northwest."
Shi Shulan put away the osmanthus cake and sesame candy, and said, "If Xiao Taozi doesn't have the patience to sit in the car on the way, give her this."
As she spoke, she took out a few oil-paper packages from the cupboard, which contained different pastries, including mung bean cakes and jujube paste cakes, all of which were Xiao Taozi's favorites.
As they were talking, they heard footsteps outside the door, and Xiao Taozi ran in like a happy little rabbit, with tiny ice crystals condensed on her eyelashes.
"Xiao Taozi, you are going back tomorrow. What will you do if your aunt misses you when you arrive in the northwest?" Shi Shulan squatted down and deliberately acted aggrieved.
Little Taozi's dark eyes rolled around, and she stood on tiptoe to hug Shi Shulan's legs. Her soft and sweet voice was filled with coquettishness: "Then my aunt came to see me by train! I shared all the delicious candies and cookies that my father and mother bought for me with my aunt."
Everyone in the kitchen was amused. Aunt Wang said with a smile, "Such a cute baby, I really can't bear to part with it."
He Wanyi squatted down and hugged the child in her arms. The faint milky scent of the little peach lingered on her nose. Her fingertips gently stroked the fluffy little tufts of hair on her head. She smiled and asked, "Would you like to share your delicious food with grandma?"
Little Peach nodded vigorously, her ponytail swaying: "Give it to grandma too!"
"If that happens, will Xiao Taozi disappear?" He Wanyi scratched Xiao Taozi's nose.
"No, Xiaotao only needs a little bit, and the rest will be shared with grandma and aunt."
As the little fellow spoke, he used his two chubby fingers to indicate a small distance, his eyes sparkling and he looked very cute.
He Wanyi hugged Xiao Taozi and laughed so hard that she didn't even notice that the coal dust from the stove on Xiao Taozi's cotton shoes had rubbed against her blue apron.
"Since Xiao Taozi is so generous to Auntie, Auntie will give Xiao Taozi some of her delicious food." Shi Shulan took out a sesame candy from the basket and handed it to Xiao Taozi.
Xiao Taozi's eyes instantly lit up like stars. She took the candy, stood on tiptoe and gave Shi Shulan a kiss on the cheek: "I love my aunt the most."
He Wanyi pretended to have a stern face and asked, "You only like your aunt and not your grandma? Grandma will be sad."
Xiao Taozi became anxious and kissed He Wanyi on the face several times in a row. Her chubby little mouth made He Wanyi's face covered with saliva.
He Wanyi smiled and kissed Xiao Taozi's little face again and again before reluctantly putting her down.
"Little Taozi, remember to learn how to write letters when you get to the Northwest. Draw the heavy snow you see and the delicious food you eat on the letter paper and send it to grandma. Just think of grandma eating it too." He Wanyi gently pinched Little Taozi's cheek.
Little Taozi bit her lip hesitantly and whispered awkwardly, "My drawing is not good. I'm afraid grandma won't recognize it."
"Grandma and our little Taozi have a tacit understanding, she will definitely recognize it." He Wanyi held little Taozi's hand, "Little Taozi's hands are so beautiful, anything she draws will look good."
After getting the assurance, Xiao Taozi nodded seriously, and Xiao Qu Qu followed suit.
At this time, Lu Liangchen was calling Xiao Taozi outside.
Little Taozi skipped out of the kitchen in a hurry, taking a bite of sesame candy as she walked. Her satisfied look made people's hearts melt.
"Now that Xiao Taozi is gone, the house will be quiet. I wonder if these little brats at home will make a fuss about asking for a younger sister." He Wanyi said with emotion as she looked at the little girl's jumping back.
"Mom, how about we keep Xiao Taozi in Beijing as well? We already have so many children at home, one more won't do." Shi Shulan's eyes suddenly lit up and he suggested.
He Wanyi thought seriously, little Taozi is so well-behaved and cute, keeping her around will really bring a lot of joy to the family.
Jiang Haitang's heart skipped a beat, and her hands unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes.
Although she knew that her sister-in-law was just joking, she was still nervous when she heard this.
Am I really a little worried that my sister-in-law is planning to snatch Xiao Taozi from me?
No, no, Xiao Taozi is her dearest child. If she really stays so far away and doesn't see her for a year or two, she can't bear it.
"Xiao Taozi is Liangchen's sweetheart. If we really leave Xiao Taozi here, he will probably have to come back before the end of the year." Jiang Haitang forced a smile and joked.
"Haitang is reluctant to part with Xiao Taozi." Shi Shulan said with a teasing smile, "Such a good child, I wouldn't be willing to part with her either."
He Wanyi smiled and shook her head: "You guys really dote on Xiao Taozi, especially Liangchen. As a mother, I didn't know he could be so attentive. Before, he couldn't even find his own socks."
"Who says it's not true? Liangchen used to be careless, but he's very careful with Xiao Taozi." Shi Shulan also said with a smile, "If I really leave Xiao Taozi here, he'll fight me to the death."
"Or maybe just let my sister-in-law give birth to a daughter herself!" Jiang Haitang winked mischievously.
A few people walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, chatting and laughing.
He Wanyi took out an envelope from the cabinet and handed it to Jiang Haitang: "Here are some bills that can be used at home. I specially asked someone to get some woolen bills. I don't have time to knit you a sweater, so you can work hard and knit it yourself. It's cold in the northwest, don't catch a cold."
"Auntie, I don't need it. I have clothes to wear." Jiang Haitang declined.
"Haitang, the northwest is windy and sandy, so you'll need a sweater. The situation is special now, so you have to stay in Jincheng. After a few years, when the situation gets better, I'll find a way to transfer you back, and then we can be reunited as a family." He Wanyi held Jiang Haitang's hand, full of guilt.
"Auntie, we are doing well in Jincheng. Our work is going well and our life is good. We also plan to earn more foreign exchange for the country at this year's Canton Fair." Jiang Haitang comforted with a smile.
"Okay, okay, you young people have your own aspirations, and we, the older generation, can only support you. If you need any help from your family, feel free to come to us."
Jiang Haitang nodded. Maybe there would really be a time when she would need their help. After all, Lu's father was in the mechanical field, and Lu's mother worked at the General Administration of Textiles.
As they were talking, my aunt Lu Simin pushed the door open and came in like a gust of wind, carrying a big bulging bag in her hand.
"Why are you here at this time, aunt?" Jiang Haitang went to greet her.
"I prepared some food and drinks for them, bring them over." Lu Simin put the bag on the table and said breathlessly.
Jiang Haitang watched Lu Simin take out things one by one, and her eyes widened instantly. There were actually several bags of instant noodles among them!
In this day and age, instant noodles are a rare commodity and you may not be able to buy them even if you have money.
"Aunt, you also got instant noodles?" Jiang Haitang asked in surprise.
"It's heartbreaking that you can't even have a hot meal on the train, so I made a few bags for you. They're hot when you soak them, convenient and warm." Lu Simin said with a smile.
"Thank you, aunt."
Lu Liangchen took the bag, his eyes full of surprise. This is really good stuff. Maybe I can study it when I get back. Maybe the factory can even set up a factory within a factory to develop new products.
Not long after, Mr. Lu, Father Lu, Uncle Lu, and Aunt Lu all came back one after another.
The living room suddenly became lively. Everyone sat around the fireplace, talking about family matters and laughing.
Xiao Taozi was saying goodbye to several of her cousins.
She stood among her brothers, like a little adult: "Big brother, second brother, third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, I will go back tomorrow. I will miss you, and you should miss me too!"
As she spoke, the little girl took out a few White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket. They were the ones she had saved because she couldn't bear to eat them. She carefully placed a piece in the palm of each brother's hand.
"Xiao Taozi, why don't you not go back and live in grandma's house like us?" Lu Weiguo squatted down, holding Xiao Taozi's hand, his eyes full of reluctance.
"Yes, Xiao Taozi, you stay. Otherwise, how about you be my father and mother's daughter?"
After thinking about it, Lu Aiguo felt that this method was better. If Xiao Taozi became the daughter of her father and mother, there would be no need to worry about her being taken away by her second uncle.
When Lu Liangchen heard that someone actually wanted to snatch his daughter from him, how could he tolerate that?
"Lu Aiguo, are you itching for trouble?"
Seeing his second uncle glaring at him with a dark face, Lu Aiguo shrank his neck in fear and quickly hid behind Lu Weiguo, leaving only a pair of rolling eyes exposed.
The other children were about to agree, but when they saw Lu Liangchen's gloomy face, they swallowed the words that were about to come out of their mouths.
Uncle Er is scary when he gets angry, and they don’t want to get hurt.
"Now that our sister is gone, do we have no sister anymore?" The youngest Lu Xingguo suddenly asked with his big, ignorant eyes.
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